Social Program

• Welcome from the LAC Chair
• 5K Run/Walk
• Tours
• Awards Ceremony and Reception
• Night Out
• Exhibitor Sponsored Events
• Post-Conference Tours

Meeting Home

The Seattle Local Arrangements committee is pleased to welcome AAPM to beautiful Seattle. Although we are justly well-known for gray skies and rain, we hope you will learn one of Seattle’s secrets: late summer can be sunny and beautiful. In any weather we locals relish our lush greenery, beautiful lakes and salt water, and nearby mountains. Of course Seattle is more than just a pretty face. Have a cup of our famous coffee while you contemplate the concentration of high-tech companies, airplane manufacture, great shopping, exquisite restaurants, major-league sports teams, and cultural opportunities.

Our meeting will be held in our Washington State Trade & Convention Center, famous for its integration into the heart of the city and the freeway system! As we wander the halls and meeting rooms both pedestrians and that infamous Seattle traffic cross overhead, passing by innovative rooftop gardens and parks.

The Convention Center is steps from the Downtown retail core, with shopping at department stores like Nordstrom, the Bon Marche, and numerous boutiques and specialty stores along the streets and the Westlake Center and Pacific Place. A few blocks west you will find the famous Pike Place Farmers Market where truck farmers, artisans, street performers and specialty stores meld into a unique and rich urban shopping experience. Within blocks are the Seattle Art Museum, and our new much-lauded Seattle Public Library. Bibliophiles, (and achitecturophiles!) you have got to see this. Of course, Seattleites take our food seriously; good restaurants are everywhere.

Convenient to your hotel and the Convention Center are many worthy attractions. The Seattle Center is linked to downtown by the Monorail. Both were built for the 1968 World’s fair. At the Seattle Center you will find the Space Needle (the ride up the elevator is worth the incredible 360-degree vistas of the whole region!), the Pacific Science Center, the Experience Music Project, The Seattle Children’s Theatre, and the Center House offering a huge variety of casual dining options. Just beyond the Pike Place Market is the Seattle waterfront. Along the water are many restaurants, shops, and the Seattle Aquarium. A great outing is a ride on a Washington State Ferry, departing many times an hour from the Coleman Dock. Board as a walk-on passenger in the evening, and relish the wonderful views of the Seattle skyline behind you and Olympic Mountains in front of you. A trip to Bainbridge Island only takes 35 minutes, and you can dine in the quaint village of Winslow (about a 5-block walk from the Ferry). A short taxi ride will take you a few miles North to the Woodland Park Zoo, or the University of Washington Arboretum.   Some sites which may help you plan your time and activities:
http://www.seattletours.us
http://www.experiencewashington.com
http://www.seeseattle.org/

Last but not least, Seattle is the home of Mountain Man Dave Jette.  Dave has a great backpacking trip planned, and those interested can contact him.

We hope to see many of you at a very memorable 2005 Meeting.

Larry Sweeney, Chair
Gene Robertson, Co-Chair

Tuesday, July 26 • 6:00 AM
Myrtle Edwards Park

The AAPM/Gammex 5K Run/Walk will take place along Puget Sound on the path of beautiful Myrtle Edwards Park. As you run (or walk) you can enjoy fantastic views of the Olympics Mountains and Mount Rainier, as well as the activity of a busy harbor including ferries, container ships and sealife. Registration for the run will be included as part of the meeting registration process. Please include your t-shirt size when you register. There is no registration fee for the run. Deadline to register is July 6.

Registered participants must come by the AAPM meeting registration area in the convention center on Monday, July 25, between 10 am and 2 pm, to sign a waiver, and pick up race numbers and t-shirts.

Transportation will be provided to the park from the twelve convention hotels at 5:15am on Tuesday:

Bus Route for AAPM/Gammex 5K Run/Walk - buses depart at 5:15am

Thanks again to GAMMEX RMI for continuing to sponsor this fun event!

Several tours, organized by Seattle Hospitality, will be available to AAPM attendees. Purchases must be made by July 6. Tickets may be available for purchase on site, but there are no guarantees!

All tours will start and finish at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center at the times indicated. Buses will depart from the ground level behind the main escalators - look for "Convention Place" signs. Please allow yourself some extra time before stated departure times.

Northwest Winery Tour
Sunday, July 24
4 hours: 1:00pm-5:00pm
Cost: $27 includes motorcoach, two winery tours and tastings
Children under the age of 3 are free.

Situated on the same latitude as the French wine country, Washington State has a growing wine industry that is winning prestigious awards throughout the world. You will learn more about Northwest wines as you visit two popular local wineries. Your wine experience will begin at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Located on 87 acres of arboretum-like grounds, Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington's oldest winery, taking its place among the classic wineries of the world. Enjoy a tour that allows a romantic yet technologically accurate view of the art and science of winemaking, followed by wine tasting. After the tour and wine tasting, you will enjoy strolling the grounds and visiting the extensive wine and accessory shop.

You will continue your wine excursion and tasting experience by crossing the road to the Columbia Winery. Founded in 1962 by ten friends, including six University of Washington professors, Columbia is Washington State's first premium winery. Columbia Winery has grown steadily over the past forty years as a leader in Washington’s burgeoning wine industry. The winery’s production in 2002 reached 140,000 cases and its distribution now includes exports to Canada, Europe and the Pacific Rim.


Children age three and over are the same rate as an adult. Note: Light jackets and comfortable shoes are recommended.

Lifestyles and Lakes Cruise
Monday, July 25
3 hours: 12:45pm-3:45pm
Cost: $42 includes motorcoach and narrated lakes cruise
Children ages 5-12 years: $27
Children under the age of 5 are free.

This fabulous two-hour cruise treats you to spectacular glimpses of Seattle's unique inner-city shoreline. Cruise through Lake Union and Portage Bay, viewing everything from million dollar mansions including Bill Gate’s, Kenny G, the Nordstrom family, and Steve Miller to handcrafted houseboats – even the famous houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle!

You will learn interesting facts such as: Seattle has more pleasure boat owners per capita than any other metropolitan city; Seattleites buy more sun glasses per capita then any other city in the nation; and Washington State has three of the world’s six floating bridges including the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge which is the longest pontoon bridge in the world! This informative tour will also reveal interesting facts about houseboats including houseboats with basements!

Note: Light jackets are recommended.

Seattle's Glassblowing Tour *tour is sold out*
Tuesday, July 26
3 hours: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Cost: $32 includes motorcoach, guided tour, artist demonstration
Children under the age of 2 are free.

Seattle has become internationally recognized as being the center for glass art in the world, second only to Venice, Italy. Seattle’s reputation is reflected in the many glass art galleries, public glass collections and studios located throughout the city. Seattle Hospitality's informative guide will escort you through the City Centre, home of Seattle's first public collection of contemporary glass art. In 1989 the building commissioned internationally recognized artists, such as Dale Chihuly, William Morris, Ginny Ruffner, and others affiliated with the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School, to create works just for this location. The collection, which includes pieces by some of the world's greatest glass masters and represents a full spectrum of techniques, is a cultural cornerstone which secures Seattle's position in the international glass art scene.

Next you will be transferred to Pioneer Square, the glassblowing capital of Seattle. Pioneer Square is home to many glass art galleries which you will visit. There will be an opportunity for you to lunch on your own, as well as time to purchase some of the beautiful pieces of glass art if you wish.

Note: This is not an ideal tour for children. Children age two and older are the same rate as an adult.

Eastside Highlights
Wednesday, July 27
4.5 hours: 9:00am-1:30pm
Cost: $25 includes motorcoach, admission
Children under the age of 3 are free.

Just 25 miles east of Seattle is one of Washington’s most popular scenic attractions: Snoqualmie Falls. Here, the Snoqualmie River cascades 270 feet through a spectacular rock gorge into a 65-foot deep pool. On top of the falls sits one of Seattle’s most romantic getaways – the Salish Lodge. As you arrive at Snoqualmie Falls, you will be given time to tour the gift shop and take pictures from the observation deck.

Next stop: Bellevue Botanical Gardens boast 36 acres of rolling hills, undisturbed woodland, meadows, pristine bogs, and gardens offering an ever-changing panorama of greenery and color. Strolling the gardens, you will be given time to explore the botanical library and browse in the garden shop.

Finally, you will travel to Kirkland where you will have time for shopping and lunch on your own. Kirkland is known in the area as a small, quaint, residential town, which is full of vibrant storefronts, coffee shops, boutiques and galleries.

Children age three and over are the same rate as an adult. Note: Light jackets and comfortable shoes are recommended.

AAPM Awards Ceremony

Monday, July 25 • 6:00 PM-7:30 PM

Ballroom 6E, Convention Center

followed by a Reception in 6A

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine will honor AAPM award winners during a ceremony followed by a wine and cheese reception on Monday, July 25. The ceremony will take place in Ballroom 6E of the Convention Center. The reception will follow immediately in 6A.

Night Out
Tuesday, July 26 • 6:30 PM-10:30 PM
Museum of Flight

The Museum of Flight's Great Gallery is a dramatic 142,816-sq. ft., steel-and-glass complex unlike any other museum building in the world! The museum houses a DC-3, suspended in a sky along with over 20 full-size airplanes, everything from a replica of the Wright Brothers glider to the first supersonic jet fighter. Other fun exhibits include a cockpit of an early United Airlines mail plane, a real flying automobile, and the landing gear on a Blue Angels jet. In all, more than 40 aircraft from the golden age to the space age are on display.

In the Personal Courage Wing, interactive exhibits include twenty-eight stunning fighter planes. This space is dedicated to stories of heroism, determination and sacrifice of those involved in aviation during World War I and World War II.

You'll have access to the museum's flight simulators. Participants experience state-of-the-art audio-visual excitement and tilting motion as part of the virtual Desert Storm Strike program. You can learn the history, role in flight safety, and computer technology of flight simulators.

Please Note: Buffet Dinner and a live local band, Bochinche, are included. Soft drinks will be provided. Each adult Night Out ticket will include 1 drink ticket, good for imported/domestic beer or a glass of white wine. Once your ticket is used, a cash bar will be available. Nonalcoholic drinks will not require a ticket.

Busing Schedule

The Seattle Mariners play the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, July 27th at 7:05 pm at Safeco Field. There are two seating levels available at a discounted rate to all AAPM registrants.  100-Level Field seats are $24 (normally $35) and 300-Level View Reserved seats are $10 (normally $17).  A $.50 per ticket charge will be added to your order.  For your convenience, the tickets will be sent via e-mail to be printed at home or work.  You won’t have to worry about tickets getting lost in the mail or waiting in long will-call lines.

Ticket orders are through the Mariners GroupManager web site.  To request tickets, send an e-mail to the Mariners at AAPMGroup@seattlemariners.com, and you will receive an e-mail invitation to the special AAPM discounted game date within two business days.

More information on group purchases of 40 or more, plus information about wheelchair seating.

Links to Exhibitor Sponsored Events are posted here as a service to our exhibitors. There is no endorsement implied by AAPM.

ELEKTA sponsored IGRT: A Report from the Clinic
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Gordon Biersch Brewery

ELEKTA sponsored Leksell GammaPlan Luncheon Seminar
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Grand Hyatt Seattle, Leonesa 1, Lobby Level

ELEKTA sponsored IGRT Tour of Swedish Medical Center
Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Nucletron Oncentra ConeBeam Reception
Sunday July 24

Nucletron Optimizing HDR Brachytherapy for Interstitial, Intracavitary and Skin
Monday, July 25
Washington State Convention Center, Room 606-607

Sun Nuclear Corporation User Meeting Luncheon
Tuesday, July 26, Noon-1:30pm
Washington State Convention Center, Ballroom 6A

Varian Users Meeting
Saturday, July 23
Bell Harbor International Conference Center

Varian Emerging Technologies IGRT Symposium & Reception
Sunday, July 24
Grand Hyatt Seattle

Registration for the following post-conference tours is offered through Seattle Hospitality. Please complete and send the registration form directly to Seattle Hospitality (not to AAPM) prior to June 15.

PDF with complete tour descriptions
PDF with Alaska Cruise information

Lunch at Tillicum Village
Saturday, July 30
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$69 adult
$25 child ages 5-12 years
Children 4 and under free

Victoria BC Day Trip
Thursday, July 28 and Saturday, July 30
8:45 AM-7:30 PM
$133 adult
$66.50 child ages 1-11 years

Canadian Loop Tour
Saturday, July 30 - Monday, August 1
Length: Three Days/Two Nights
$446 per guest, double occupancy
$751.50 per guest, single occupancy
$134.75 youth ages 12-18 *
$75.75 Per Child (Ages 1 – 11yrs) *
Children under the age of 1 are free *
* Youth and child rates valid if child is staying in the room with parent(s).

Orca Whale Cruise in the San Juan Islands
Thursday, July 28 and Saturday, July 30
7:45 AM-7:15 PM
$100 adult
$50 child ages 1-11 years

Alaska Cruise
Saturday, July 30 - Saturday, August 6
Cost varies according to room type